Azerbaijan, Baku, May 14 / Trend , E.Ostapenko/
The OSCE Chairmanship had suspended negotiations on a continued OSCE presence in Georgia, the Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, Greek Ambassador Mara Marinaki said in press release.
"Following five months of intensive informal negotiations, it is now time to take stock of what has been accomplished," said Marinaki at today's meeting of the Permanent Council, which is one of the main directive bodies of OSCE 56 countries, in Vienna.
"We need to review the results of our efforts to build the required consensus around the Greek
proposal based on the 'status-neutral' formula that would allow the OSCE to continue its crucial work in Georgia," she said.
The talks were launched in the end of 2008, when OSCE states failed to reach consensus to prolong OSCE mission's mandate in Georgia.
The Permanent Council has repeatedly said that it needs more, not less, OSCE in the region. We call on all participating States to show strong political will to this end," she added.
"Despite the suspension of the talks, we remain hopeful that we will still
be able to reach consensus soon," she said.
The OSCE Mission to Georgia, which opened in 1992, is in a process of
discontinuation. The OSCE also has 20 unarmed military monitors in Georgia
who are operating under a mandate that expires on 30 June.
On Dec. 22, Russia opposed the prolongation of the OSCE mission's mandate in Georgia at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, saying the present mandate of "Georgian mission" includes Abkhazia and South Ossetia components. Therefore, the mandate must be reconsidered.
The OSCE is a co-chair of the Geneva Discussions along with the United Nations and the European Union. Greek Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, will participate in the fifth session of the discussions, to be held in Geneva on May 18-19.
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